FIFA World Cup 2022 Group A and B analysis: England, Netherlands favourites

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar: Here's a detailed analysis of which two teams will qualify for the knockouts from Group A and B of the tournament

Wirth FIFA World Cupp 2022 beginning this weekend, the debate on which teams will win matches and qualify for the knockout stage is all the rage right now. The tournament will be played by 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams each. From each group, two teams will qualify for the knockout stage. This brings us to the group analysis and prediction of which will be the two teams that will move to the Round of 16. 

Group A

Qatar 

The first group has the host Qatar and this team poses a great threat to the other three teams in the group. They are the reigning Asia Cup winners and semi-finalists of the CONCACAF Gold Cup (North American Continental Football Championships). They were invited to the Gold Cup and beat top-notch teams like El Salvador, Grenada, and Honduras before going down to USA 0-1. 

Goalkeepers: Saad Al-Sheeb, Meshaal Barsham, Yousef Hassan

Defenders: Pedro Miguel, Musaab Khidir, Tarek Salman, Bassam Al-Rawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan, Homam Ahmed, Jassem Gaber

Midfielders: Ali Asad, Assim Madabo, Mohammed Waad, Salem Al-Hajri, Moustafa Tarek, Karim Boudiaf, Abdelaziz Hatim, Ismail Mohamad

Forwards: Naif Al-Hadhrami, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Hassan Al-Haydos, Khalid Muneer, Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, Mohamed Muntar

Ecuador

Ecuador is the second-youngest team (average age) in the tournament. Filled with players who play in Europe, the Ecuadorian team made it to the quarterfinal of Copa America 2022 and lost to eventual winners Argentina 3-0. However, since that loss, the South American side has lost only two more games in their last 20. They lost only to Venezuela and Uruguay even while playing against teams like Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. Therefore, taking them lightly would be a loss to all. 

Goalkeepers: Moises Ramirez, Alexander Dominguez, Hernan Galindez

Defenders: Piero Hincapie, Robert Arboleda, Pervis Estupinan, Angelo Preciado, Jackson Porozo, Xavier Arreaga, Felix Torres, Diego Palacios, William Pacho

Midfielders: Carlos Gruezo, Jose Cifuentes, Alan Franco, Moises Caicedo, Angel Mena, Jeremy Sarmiento, Ayrton Preciado, Sebastian Mendez, Gonzalo Plata, Romario Ibarra

Forwards: Djorkaeff Reasco, Kevin Rodriguez, Michael Estrada, Enner Valencia

Netherlands

Since losing to Czech Republic in the Round of 16 of the Euro 2020, the Dutch team has done really well and has not lost even a single game out of the 15 that they have played. They are back with Louis van Gaal, the man who took them to the semi-finals in the 2014 World Cup. With strikers like Memphis Depay and defenders like Virgil van Dijk, the Dutch are the top contenders to top this group. 

Goalkeepers: Justin Bijlow, Andries Noppert, Remko Pasveer

Defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Daley Blind, Jurrien Timber, Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij, Matthijs de Ligt, Tyrell Malacia, Jeremie Frimpong.

Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong, Steven Berghuis, Davy Klaassen, Teun Koopmeiners, Marten de Roon, Cody Gakpo, Kenneth Taylor, Xavi Simons.

Forwards: Memphis Depay, Steven Bergwijn, Vincent Janssen, Luuk de Jong, Noa Lang, Wout Weghorst.

Senegal

Sadio Mane’s Senegal is the one team which would like to go about its work easily and not get highlighted. The winners of the Africa Cup Nations 2022, Senegal did well in the last World Cup too, beating Poland and drawing with Japan before getting beaten by Colombia to bow out of the World Cup. Therefore, they will be backing themselves to beat Ecuador and Qatar and move to the Round of 16 at least. 

Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Alfred Gomis, Seny Dieng.

Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly, Abdou Diallo, Youssouf Sabaly, Fode Ballo-Toure, Pape Abdou Cisse, Ismail Jakobs, Formose Mendy.

Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye, Cheikhou Kouyate, Nampalys Mendy, Krepin Diatta, Pape Gueye, Pape Matar Sarr, Pathe Ciss, Moustapha Name, Loum Ndiaye.

Forwards: Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Boulaye Dia, Bamba Dieng, Famara Diedhiou, Nicolas Jackson, Iliman Ndiaye.

The Netherlands are sure to qualify for the next round unless there is a major upset. Picking the second team from Group A is difficult, as all three -- Senegal, Qatar, and Ecuador -- weigh equally on form and balance. 

Let’s move to the second group 

Group B

England

England are favourites to win all their matches and move to the Round of 16 as group toppers from the second group. They have all the necessary ingredients to beat all the teams. It's now up to coach Gareth Southgate to utilise these assets and move up in the points table. 

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope.

Defenders: Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker, Ben White, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Eric Dier, Conor Coady, Luke Shaw.

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Kalvin Phillips, Jordan Henderson, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount.

Forwards: Harry Kane, Callum Wilson, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, James Maddison.

Iran

Amid protests in the country and the government even going as far as to threaten to withdraw its team, Iran will be looking to focus on the field as they have more than just a chance to make it to the Round of 16. Under coach Carlos Queiroz, the Asian giants will be eyeing up USA and Wales to try and overpower the two and enter the knockout stage for the first time in its history. 

Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand, Amir Abedzadeh, Hossein Hosseini, Payam Niazmand.

Defenders: Ehsan Hajsafi, Morteza Pouraliganji, Ramin Rezaeian, Milad Mohammadi, Hossein Kanani, Shojae Khalilzadeh, Sadegh Moharrami, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Majid Hosseini, Abolfazl Jalali.

Midfielders: Ahmad Noorollahi, Saman Ghoddos, Vahid Amiri, Saeid Ezatolahi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Torabi, Ali Gholizadeh, Ali Karimi.

Forwards: Karim Ansarifard, Sardar Azmoun, Mehdi Taremi.

United States

The USA has been in the World Cups for long but have never been a serious challenger. This time around as well, they are just another team filing up the space. However, the USA can't be written off before the tournament begings as the group has teams like Wales and Iran against whom the Americans would fancy their chances. 

Also after CONCACAF Gold Cup victory, the US side will look to make it count this time around. And who can forget the draw against England in 2010? However, United States’ best finish was in 2002 when they made it to the quarterfinal and lost to Germany by a solitary goal. Thus, Gregg Berhalter’s men would look to throw in a surprise to England once again and try to beat Iran and Wales to qualify for the Round of 16.

Goalkeepers: Matt Turner, Sean Johnson, Ethan Horvath

Defenders: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Sergino Dest, Aaron Long, Shaq Moore, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally, DeAndre Yedlin, Walker Zimmerman

Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson, Kellyn Acosta, Tyler Adams, Luca de la Torre, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan

Forwards: Jesus Ferreira, Jordan Morris, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Joshua Sargent, Timothy Weah, Haji Wright

Wales

Wales are by no mean any less of an opponent than Iran or the USA. The generation of Gareth Bale, Ben Davies, Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey has got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their nation on the biggest stage and play against their big brother England at the same time. Wales qualified for the Euros for the first time in 2016 and went on to reach the semis. This makes them equally fierce competitors in the group, if not more. 

Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey, Danny Ward, Adam Davies

Defenders: Ben Davies, Ben Cabango, Tom Lockyer, Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham, Ethan Ampadu, Chris Gunter, Neco Williams, Connor Roberts

Midfielders: Sorba Thomas, Joe Allen, Matthew Smith, Dylan Levitt, Harry Wilson, Joe Morrell, Jonny Williams, Aaron Ramsey, Rubin Colwill

Forwards: Gareth Bale, Kieffer Moore, Mark Harris, Brennan Johnson, Daniel James

Logic dictates that only England are a sure-shot qualifier from this group while filling the remaining spot could eventually come down to goal differences.